


Ray Was Slain by an Enderman

by preblematic



Series: Respawn [3]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Minecraft, Secret Relationship, Temporary Character Death, adam/joel brotp, king!joel, minecraft au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-18 00:49:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1408849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preblematic/pseuds/preblematic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joel was a good king, and he, for whatever reason, inspired a general sense of loyalty in his subjects. Perhaps they found his twitchiness endearing. He sometimes wondered how much they'd support his sleeping with a peasant boy nearly twenty years younger than him, but he'd rather not ponder it too extensively.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dirty Little Secret

**Author's Note:**

> So, this'll probably be like two or three chapters long. First time writing Joelay, and I don't really have Joel down quite yet, so be gentle

Joel was a good king, and he, for whatever reason, inspired a general sense of loyalty in his subjects. Perhaps they found his twitchiness endearing. He sometimes wondered how much they'd support his sleeping with a peasant boy nearly twenty years younger than him, but he'd rather not ponder it too extensively.

Speaking of such things, what was Ray doing?

"Ray?" he asked, looking up at his lover who was currently sitting back against the headboard and twisting his hands in the sheets anxiously. This was odd behavior for the younger man, who was easygoing and generally hard to fluster. Joel was slightly worried about it.

Ray's head snapped toward him in a twitchy motion more suited to the king than his lover. "Yeah?" the younger man asked, still nervously playing with the bedclothes.

"Is something the matter?" Joel asked, laying his left hand over Ray's to stop them from further disturbing the sheets. "You seem...anxious." He rested his head on the other's thigh and rubbed circles on the back of one of the hands he had stilled, waiting for an answer.

Ray's free hand came to rest in Joel's permanently disheveled hair, stroking it and scratching lightly at his scalp. "It's nothing really, just--" He paused and sighed. "The guys back home are getting suspicious. Before I left, Gavin asked me 'where is it I wander off to every fortnight.' I'm kind of concerned they'll follow me or something, to satisfy their curiosity."

"That's...well...hmm. Yeah, that's a problem."

"Astute as always, your highness," Ray laughed. "What do you propose we do about it?"

"We could switch around our meeting times," Joel suggested. Ray raised and eyebrow and Joel elaborated. "Instead of every two weeks on the weekend, we'd pick a day--a different day--every time we saw each other. So that they couldn't pick a pattern."

Ray nodded along as Joel spoke. He wasn't sure how well it would work, but  _he_  wasn't coming up with any sort of plan.

"Of course it would be easier if you didn't live a two day's journey away," Joel added somewhat petulantly. He had tried, on many occasions, to convince Ray to move a bit closer to the castle and its surrounding city.

"It only takes one day for me to get here," Ray reminded him." I travel at night, too."

"That's worse!" Joel squawked. He rolled on to his side and wrapped both arms around the smaller man's waist. "There are zombies and skeletons and creepers and--! I worry about you constantly. I have no way of knowing if you've made it back home safely.

Ray rolled his eyes. "You worry about everything constantly," he said.

"At least let me get you a horse," Joel pleaded," So you can make it home while it's still daylight."

"And what do you think the guys would say if I came home with a horse? Honestly, Joel, I'll be  _fine_ ; I've done it a hundred times."

"Statistically speaking, the fact that you've done something many times without incident actually increases the chances of something horrible happening."

"You worry too much," Ray said. He leaned down and kissed the top of Joel's head before shuffling down under the covers. "Now go to sleep. I have to leave tomorrow, and I expect vigorous morning sex before that happens."

Joel chuckled. "I might be able to oblige."

"Just remember that I could leave you for a younger man at any time," Ray said, tucking his head against joel's shoulder.

"You wouldn't," Joel said with fake worry.

"I dunno,"Ray said, pretending to think about it. "Michael and Gavin are in to some pretty weird shit; I could probably join them."

Joel growled and pulled Ray flush against his chest, nuzzling into his hair. "No, my Ray."

"Okay, okay, fine!" Ray said, pushing against Joel's chest. "I'll settle for an old man, just let me breathe!"

"And my lover is secured for another night," Joel said proudly.

"Yeah, yeah, try not to die in your sleep, grandpa," Ray grunted, turning his back toward the older man and reaching over to extinguish the lone candle lighting the room. 

"I could have you executed without trial," Joel said.

"I love you too," Ray responded.

\----

There were few things Ray enjoyed in life more than being held. And he would never fucking say that out loud because then he'd have to murder himself and everyone within ear shot. But  he could silently admit it to himself on the rare mornings when he got to wake up wrapped in someone else's arms and cocooned in linens that were much nicer than anything he usually slept on. Yeah, Ray just liked being held sometimes.

It worked out well, because Joel instinctively clung to his partner during the night; probably because he was always worried about something bad happening to him. Two years later and Ray was still working on calming Joel down; it was a process.

This particular morning, Joel was very hesitant to let Ray go, and Ray was even more hesitant to be let go of. The end result was that both of them lay in bed long after they were both awake, neither one willing to break the comfortable bubble of warmth that only existed around two people who had spent the night in the same bed. Joel was probably neglecting some kingly duty, but it was the weekend. Kingly duties were optional on the weekend.

"Joel," Ray finally said. Joel hummed in reply and tightened his arms around Ray's middle. "Joel," Ray whined," I have to pee." Joel whined like it was some great undertaking and unwound his arms from Ray's midsection. The younger man scurried over to the chamber pot.

The older man rolled on to his back. "I suppose this means it's time to get up," he said, defeated. 

"You are the laziest king known to mankind," Ray said. "I honestly don't understand how you run this kingdom so well." 

"Good advisers and a screeching lover to keep me on track," Joel answered.

"I do not 'screech,'"Ray groused, pulling on his slightly rumpled shirt. It was really rather pointless, seeing as how he wasn't wearing pants anyway. "You know who screeches?  _Gavin_  screeches. Guy's like a damn bird."

"I keep hearing about all these guys you live with," Joel complained. "But I've never met any of them!"

Ray rolled his eyes and climbed back on to the bed, knees on either side of Joel's thighs. "Well it's not exactly like I can just take you home to meet them, now is it?"

"What if you did, though?" Joel asked, suddenly very energetic. Ray raised an eyebrow. "Think about it!" he said excitedly, gripping the tops of Ray's arms and pulling him down to eye level. "None of them have ever seen me up close! I could take a few days off in the summer, after harvest, leave someone in charge for just a few days; I could really do it."

Ray couldn't stop a grin from breaking out over his face at his lover's words. It did sound nice, and he entertained the thought for a few moments. Taking Joel back to Achievement City for a few days, introducing him to his best friends, sharing his too small bed and stupid fucking house with the idiot who he'd somehow fallen in love with--it all sounded exquisite.

"It's definitely a possibility," Ray admitted. Joel smiled like an idiot, an expresstion not befitting a man of his position in life, and kissed Ray happily. The smaller man hummed in contentment when he pulled away. "I seem to recall a promise of vigorous morning sex," he said with a devious smile.


	2. The Death of Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to break out the map of Achievement City for this; i hope you're grateful.
> 
> Disclaimer: everything I know about medieval culture and life I learned from Merlin and Doctor Who and Barbie so I don't promise accuracy

     "You're sure you don't want me to get you anything?" Joel asked Ray as he was getting ready to depart back to Achievement City. "Some supplies or food? A horse?"

     Ray rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Joel's neck. "Pray tell, your highness, how're you gonna inconspicuously sneak a horse down here?" he asked, leaning forward to rub his nose against the other's in some sort of adorable show of affection that he would never admit to in his life.

     The two of them were standing in one of the many back entrances of the palace used for servants or deliveries or...whatever back entrances are usually used for. This particular one led directly in to the woods. Ray would have to circle around and come out on the main road again.

     On this particular visit to his illicit lover, Ray had to depart early. Hardmode went in to effect the next day, and Ray had no desire to be caught in the swarms of monsters. So he elected to return home a day early.

     Joel's face fell. "Good point," he admitted. "But still, I feel like I should be showering you with gifts; isn't that what kings usually do when they're courting?"

     "When they're courting  _princesses_ ," Ray corrected. "Considering the bruises around my neck I don't think treating me like a princess would fly too well with you."

     "Well, I've gotta be sure people know you're taken," Joel said, nuzzling at the aforementioned neck.

     "Only thing they'll know about is my collection of scarves," Ray said. He indulged himself in a few more moments of being held before he gently pulled Joel's hands off of him. "I really do need to go," he said reluctantly.

     "Yeah," Joel agreed. They kissed for a moment before Ray pulled his hood up and backed away.

     "See you in two weeks," he said.

     "Yeah," Joel said with a fond smile.

\----

     Ray stopped by the merchant area of the city before he left; he had promised Gavin he'd bring him a trinket of some sort. Gavin was like a magpie; his and Michael's house was littered with various shiny trifles that Gavin had found who knows where. His favorite was this weird bit of obsidian that was shaped like a dick.

     Joel had given him ~~a shit load of~~ some money so he indulged a little and went to the more upscale shops first.

     Ray felt a little out of place in the upper merchant district. True, he spent most of his time in the Capitol at Joel's palace, but he also spent most of that time in Joel's bed. Even still, he thought it was kinda rude they way people were giving him dirty looks. Until he realized that his hood was still up and he probably looked like he was casing the shops.

     He quickly lowered it. After a moment of thought, he also opened his cloak a bit more, throwing it behind him, and tried to look as innocent as possible. City folks were touchy, and he still looked out of place.

     This area of town was much quieter than he was accustomed to. The market streets, where people bought and sold food and cloth and common household items, were always loud and bustling, filled with people trying to haggle over each other and the sounds of animals and children. There, it was much easier to  only be noticed when you wanted to be.

     Here, the streets were quiet. Their population consisted mostly of well groomed people in fine clothes who still looked at Ray as though he  _must_  be lost. A carriage drove past every now and then.  There was no yelling of shop keepers or clack of hooves and carts of goods, no shadows for him to linger in. (There was also no lingering smell of manure, however, and Ray counted that as a plus.) He felt exposed.

     The wares in the windows of the shops of this area were much superior to the places he usually went to. Even the windows themselves were superior. Most of them were stained glass in various patterns and images.

     As he was walking along the streets, resolutely ignoring the stares, a green glittering caught his eye in one of the higher high class shops. He drew nearer to investigate, crouching down to eye level with the sparkling bobble. He grinned when he saw what it was: a small figurine, about six inches tall, in the shape of a creeper. It was shining silver for the most part, but bits of it were inlaid with different shades of green gems. Gavin would love it .

     He stood up straight again and entered the shop, one hand digging in his bag for the pouch of coins that  Joel had given him--along with muttered instructions to "Buy yourself something nice for once."  He was buying  _someone_  something nice for once, so he counted it.

     The shopkeep looked up from helping another customer when Ray walked in, noting his bag--the most common type of large carry enchantment bags available--with some disdain. He quickly apologized to the woman and came over to accost Ray. "May I help you?" he asked, saying the last two words very slowly and looking Ray up and down.

     "Uh, how much for the creeper in the window?" Ray asked, holding up his bag of money. It clinked slightly. Ray was not really sure how to go about this sort of transaction. He was used to price discussions happening in raised voices over top of five other sale offers.

     The man blinked, not having expected Ray to actually want to  _buy s_ omething. He crossed his ams. " Four diamond."

     " I don't think I have any diamond," Ray said, mostly to himself. "But that's six gold, right?" The man nodded slowly. Ray started pulling out the needed coins.

     "May I ask where you have acquired this money from?" the man asked, obviously think that Ray was shady.

     "The king," Ray tried. After all, it was true.

     The man's entired demeanor changed. "Oh, so you're a knight," he said.

     Ray didn't correct him. He just sort of bobbed his head and said," Yeah."

     " I apolgize, sir. Your casual dress confused me. A knight of the king in my own shop," he said in awe. Ray waved his hand with the money in it in front of his face with a raised eyebrow. The man took the money and put it into one of his pockets. "Right.  I'll get that for you quick as I can."

     He rushed to the window a few feet away and grabbed the figurine. Bringing it back over he said," This one, correct?"

     "Yes."

     " It's one of my favorites," the man said, wrapping it carefully in cloth. He handed it to Ray with a smile. 

     "Yes, it's very nice," Ray said, taking the cloth wrapped parcel and nodding.

     "Have a good day sir," the man said. Ray took that as his cue to leave, and he did so hastily.

\----

     Ray had made the journey from the capitol to Achievement City enough times to not really need a map. He stayed on the main road for a long time, only having to traverse through the woods after having entered the boundries of Achievement City itself.

     Ray had not had to respawn in ages. He wasn't stellar at combat, but he was okay. And no one could ever respawn as much as Gavin, but it had still been a considerably long time. One of the reasons for this was that he had a Giant Fucking Secret that he didn't want to forget about, because there's nobody to remind you of secrets. So he was overly cautious, usually.

 _Usually_ , he went along the coast through the area where there was always snow, but it had rained on the way, and Ray was cold enough without his clothes being literally frozen to him. He could almost completely bypass it by using the ice it created as a bridge to beeline toward downtown.

     Even though it was the dead of night, Ray could see the snow-free zone across the ice. He cautiously set one foot on it, testing. It seemed sturdy enough, and they had used this path many times before, so he was confident about it's integrity. He kept one hand on his sword as he took small steps across the ice, the other holding up a torch.

     He was about ten feet from solid ground when it happened. He heard the tell-tale gurgling chirp noise, and froze. He knew, he knew better than to look toward it, but human instinct is a hard thing to overcome, and his head had whipped toward the noise as soon as he heard it. He stared for a split second at haunting purple eyes.

     "ENDERMAN!" he screamed habitually before making a dash for shore. In his haste, he slipped and went skidding toward the edge of the ice. "Shit, shit, fuck," he spat at his reflection in the freezing water that he had barely avoided crashing in to. He pushed himself up just in time to have a gnarled black hand claw at his face. 

     Ray fumbled for his sword and he stumbled across the ice, away from his attacker, but the enderman was too fast, teleporting in front of him and wraking sharp claws down his side. He didn't even know which way shore was now. He was a shove away from plunging in to the freezing ocean, and the hits were still coming.

     "Fuck, fuck, fuck,  _fuck!"_   He finally got his sword and started swinging wildly in the direction he thought the thing was. It looked like he had scared it off. He groaned in pain, sucking in laboured breaths through his mouth. He kept his sword out.

     There were a few moments of peace like this before there was a  _'crack'_ a few feet from him, and he was propelled and followed in to the freezing water by the long, withered creature who followed him in to the drink. He took a moment of solace in the fact that tall dark and ugly would probably die too, from being submerged. From there it was just a race to see what killed Ray first: the lack of air or the enderman.

     It was the enderman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a note about their currency: I said coins instead of bars bc I feel that's more realistic, but I imagine that their coins are like hella big to compensate.
> 
> also, if you're wondering why i didn't tag MCD; read the rest of the series. or at least the series summary c'mon guys
> 
> Update: i totally forgot the endermen are damaged by water. fixed that bit.


	3. Dead as Fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I classed up Ray's place a little, just for the purposes of him being an actual living person who lives there. Also self lighting torches? Backstory for Pat the head. idk man I'm making this shit up as I go. forgive the cliche town names i'm not creative.

     He woke up slowly, one eye at a time. It was dark all around him. He was cold. There was something moving near him, and a moment later a furry face was nosing at his own.

     Percival made small chirping noises and rubbed her chin against her friend's forehead. The man instinctively reached up to scratch her head, but he seemed confused by her presence.

     "Hey boy," he said, propping himself up with his free hand. "Who're you? You mine?"

     Percival climbed up and settled on his chest. She purred happily, and her kneading claws tenderly tore holes in his skin. "Ow, ow, okay. Thanks for that." She settled down after a moment.

     "I don't suppose you could tell me who I am?" She blinked slowly at him and continued purring. "Nope? Okay. Good talk." He winced as he pulled the cat off of his chest and set her on the floor. He stood and squinted in the weak light that the moon afforded him through what seemed to be the only window in the place.

     He rifled through the first chest he found in search of a torch or something to light a torch. "Why does this guy have so much sponge?" he muttered as he dug. He held up one to inspect it.

"Oh shit."

He saw flashes, memories, of being very high in the sky; there were five other men there. They were familiar. The one in green armor was passing out Potions of Remembrance as he explained something. Jump. Dead. Jump. Dead. Wake up. Ice. Snow. Chest. Sponge.

     "What the hell?" He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. What kinda weird ass shit did he get up to? He set the sponge back in the chest and continued his searching. "Ahhaah!" he said in triumph as he grasped the smooth wood of a new torch.

     He stood up and lit the torch. Holding it up to better light the place, he looked around. He let out a high pitched shriek when he saw the disembodied head staring back at him. "What kind of voodoo shit--if that thing blinks at me I'm out." He didn't know who he was talking to--maybe the cat?--but he felt a compulsion to speak his thoughts aloud.

     Oh, okay, there went the flashes again. Zombies apparently were stronger than they looked. Why Ryan had brought his head back as a prize he still didn't know. Dude was weird.

     Wait, Ryan? Yeah, he knew Ryan. And, if this was  _his_  head, then that made him--

\----

     "Why's there a light on in Ray's house?" Gavin asked, spotting the light in the otherwise darkened plaza. He was looking out through the branches of his tree perch to look for any sneaky little monsters.

     "Why are we naked in a tree?" Michael shot back. "The world is a confusing place." He carefully wriggled his pants back on as he spoke.

     "No, I mean," he carefully turned around and sat on his folded legs, the bark digging in to his skin a bit," he should still be in Slomo shouldn't he? Visiting that bird or whatever?"

     "He was gonna come home early wasn't he?" Michael carefully stood, braced against the trunk, and strapped his sword's sheath back on. He looked over at his boyfriend. " _Gavin_ , you're not even dressed yet."

     "Can we pop in and say hello?" Gavin asked, ignoring Michael's comment.

     "Not while you're naked!" Michael shouted. "Jesus, first you drag me out  _at night_  to have monkey sex in a tree, and now you won't even put your clothes back on; if we get swarmed by skeletons or zombies I'm throwing you out as a distraction."

     Gavin pouted, but started redressing all the same. "You're no fun," he said.

     "I just had sex with you in a  _tree_ , what do you want from me?"

     "Ye, but you held on to your sword the whole time, and that really ruined the mood."

     "Gavin!"

     The blond shrugged and swung down to the ground from his perch. He was like the world's least coordinated squirrel. Put him in a tree and he's a gymnast, but on the ground he was worthless, with all the grace of a drunk ostrich.

     "I'm just saying, hardmode doesn't kick in until tomorrow" Gavin put his hands in his pockets and whistled, rocking on his feet as he waited on the ground. "C'mon then," he called up to Michael after a moment.

     The shorter man was very carefully shimmying lower and lower, one hand on the tree at all times. "Shut the fuck up; I'm working on it," Michael snapped.

     "You're awfully grouchy today," Gavin said, courteously helping Michael down. He resisted the urge to punch the annoying Brit in the face.

     "You didn't have to climb out of a tree after having a dick in your ass."

     "True enough." He grabbed Michael's hand. "C'mon, I wanna say hi to Ray!" The other grumbled but went along as he was dragged back toward the square.

     Gavin, like the nosy minge-meister he was, peaked through the door's window before he knocked. He turned back to Michael with a confused expression and asked,"Uh, why is Ray naked and surrounded by sponges?"

     "Do we really want to know?"

     Before Gavin could think of an answer, Ray's head was cautiously peaking out the door. Percival the cat wound around his heels, purring. "Uh, guys? Sorry to interrupt your peeping, but I'm Ray, right?"

     The couple looked at each other for a moment, having vivid conversation with their eyebrows. After a few moments of silent communication and Ray still being very confused and Percival escaping to claw at Gavin's leg, they both came to the same decision.

     "Geoff!" they yelled, turning and running toward the gent's house. Gavin felt the need to kick the door even though it was made of iron and wouldn't open unless you pushed the button. He yelped and grabbed at his sore foot while Michael rolled his eyes and opened the door correctly. Ray was left standing naked half in his house with a cat.

     Michael entered the monument, and Gavin hopped in after him, the door shutting behind him. "Geoff!" Michael called toward the end of the giant room. There were some shuffling noises and grumbles for a few moments before the sounds of a match being struck was heard and the opposite end of the hall lit up.

     "The giant creeper better be  _on fire_  for you to have woken me up right now," Geoff grumbled from far off.

     "Worse!" Gavin said. "Ray's respawned!"

     A moment of comprehension, a quiet "Fuck," and Geoff was putting a boot on as he ran across his frankly too long house toward the door. "Do you know how long he's been alone?"

     "No idea. But he's still naked so," Gavin trailed off.

     "Not long," Michael concluded.

     "Come on, assholes, let's go tell him who he is."

\----

     "Joel?!" A pounding on his door followed the angry exclamation of his name. The scruffy king buried his head under his pillow again.

     "Go away!" Joel shouted. It was muffled by the pillow, but he knew Adam had heard it.

     "Joel, I will kick this door down," the bearded man threatened.

     "Fucking try," Joel muttered, too low for the other to hear. He pulled the blankets tighter around him and curled into the fetal position. He was being childish, he knew, but he didn't want to get up.

     Ray was supposed to have gotten there four days ago, but he hadn't shown up. Every passing day tore another chunk out of Joel's optimism that he had just been delayed. He couldn't sleep at night; his lover was either missing or had abandoned him; there were a bunch of tedious leadership things he was expected to do; and Joel just was not going to get out of bed.

     Adam was pounding on the door, kicking it now, but Joel had faith that it would hold up. If the door to the king's bedroom couldn't withstand one angry man with a nose ring, well, they might as well just surrender the castle to their enemies and let them all die in the falling debris during its inevitable collapse.

     The pounding stopped. "Joel, c'mon, you've been like this for days. Have you eaten? _Talk to me."_ Joel responded with a sound akin to that of a dying goat. "God damn it, Joel!"

     Fuck Adam. Joel was the god damn king. Adam was just and advisor. Or a handler. His job title was unclear. If Joel wanted to lie in bed all day and totally not cry about boy problems then he was going to.  He dry sobbed once and curled up tighter.

     "Joel, let me in," Adam said. "You haven't left you room in two days. You can't keep doing this."

     "Yes I can!" Joel's voice only sounded about half as forceful as he meant it too. "Leave me alone!"

     Adam sighed heavily and knocked his head against the hard door. "I'll be back in ten minutes with a key," he threatened.

     "'I'll be back in ten minutes with the key,'" Joel mocked at his retreating footsteps and pulled his blanket up to cover his head. What many people did not know about the king was that he was actually just a seven year old child with a growth disorder. 

     True to his word, Adam came back minutes later with one of the three keys to the king's room. (One was in the drawer next to Joel's bed, and Ray had the last one.) He unlocked the door and swung it open, allowing light in to the mostly dark room. He took in a deep breath. It was worse than he thought.

     All the curtains were drawn, letting only slivers of light in through the cracks. Clothes of various formalities were strewn about the room. That shirt hanging off one of the unlit torches didn't even look like Joel's size. There was a half-empty bottle of some kind of alcohol on his side table, and the king himself was an unidentifiable lump of bedclothes.

     "I brought you a sandwich," Adam said to the part of the pile he thought Joel's head was on. "Because I know when you get like this you don't eat."

     "Go away," Joel muttered, and Adam adjusted his perception of where his head was. "I'm not hungry."  The older man's stomach growled.

     "Mhm."

     "My stomach does not speak for the rest of me."

     "Come on," Adam said, poking Joel in the head with the edge of the plate. "If the king dies of starvation we'll look so bad." Joel once again responded with a groan that sounded like a goat bleating. "Damn it, Joel."

     Those words would be on his tombstone. Joel thought that that he should get his friend a plaque with the phrase engraved on it, or perhaps a medal. He should make a note to order one of those. He could hang the plaque above the door to Adam's room.

     He was pulled out of his thoughts when he was hauled upright by his armpits, and his vision was unexpectedly flooded with light, causing him to clench his eyes tightly. Joel remained curled in a ball through shear force of will; he was now simply an upright seething ball of despair. 

     "There we go. Now come on; eat this." Adam held the sandwich in front of Joel, nudging it torward him every few seconds.

     "No," Joel said petulantly. He refused to look at Adam or the food and instead buried his face in the balled up knit blanket he had been curled around. 

     Adam sighed and grabbed at the fabric, trying to pull it out of his hands. "Joel, you're being an asshole," he said, when Joel only clung tighter to it. He pulled harder.

     "No! You'll rip it!" Joel screeched, flailing one hand at Adam's face and pushing. "Let go!" 

     "I'll buy you another one," Adam promised, grabbing Joel's wrist and trying to pry him off. 

     "You can't!"

     "Then let go!"

     "Fine!"

     Joel let got of the blanket, and Adam tumbled over backwards. "There, was that so hard?" the bearded man said from the floor, voice muffled by the fabric over his head. He pulled it off and sat up. He tossed it carelessly to the side, and Joel squeaked and threw his hand out like someone had just thrown something very expensive and very fragile.

     "Why would you do that?!" he asked angrily.

     Adam raised an eyebrow. "Dude, calm down. A minute ago you wouldn't even look at me."

     "A minute ago I wasn't pissed off!"

     "What is wrong with you?"

     "Nothing!" Joel crossed his arms over his chest and resolutely stared at the floor. He was totally fine and handling his issues in a mature way.

     "Just eat the god damn sandwich," Adam said, standing up. He went to leave the room. "I'll be back with a clean pair of clothes and some water."

     Joel watched him go with squinted eyes, but he gave in after a few minutes of his absence and grabbed the sandwich from the table where Adam had set it before their scuffle. After the first bite he realized that he was actually starving and horribly thirsty. He ate as fast as he could with zero moisture in his mouth, briefly considering the half empty bottle still next to him but ultimately deciding against it. That was a slippery slope.

     He felt much better after he ate, and even though he was still thirsty he could think much more clearly now. Lying in bed and being depressed wasn't going to do anything fix his situation. He had known that while he was lying depressed in bed, but y'know he had been having an episode, and sometimes you needed a slight emotional breakdown to function properly again.

     When Adam returned with a pitchure of water and a change of clothes, he was instantly mobbed by Joel who began drinking straight out of the jug, disregarding the cup Adam was holding. When he was apparently finished with that he handed the now mostly empty pitchure back to Adam and grabbed the clothes. He hadn't changed in three days so yeah that was the next priority. 

     "Well I'm glad you're suddenly alive again," Adam said as Joel shuffled behind the privacy screen to change.

     Joel made some sort of noise of acknowledge ment and hung his dirty shirt over the screen. "Hey Adam, can you do me a favor?" he asked.

     Adam was still confused by the sudden change, but he wasn't gonna do anything to possibly make Joel revert back to his previous state. "Sure what do you need me to do?"

     "It'll take a couple days," Joel warned. "You'll have to ride a horse." Adam hated horses. But horses hated Adam too. It was a mutual thing.

     "What is it, Joel?"

     "I need you to make an inquiry for me." The king peaked his head around the screen to look at him as he spoke. "Do you know where Achievement City is?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i lied when i said this would be two or three chapter long. i lied a lot. bc there's like another two or three chapters left soo


	4. Thnks Fr th Mmrs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me writing stuff and publishing things and advancing plot
> 
> UPDATE
> 
> I rewrote the end of this chapter, and i’ll be updating the Ao3 and Tumblr posts (tough luck for those who reblogged it) I’m hoping after this to get back to a semi regular update schedule. Life has been kinda blargh recently.

     It had been about two and a half weeks since Ray had respawned for the first time in two years. He couldn't quite remember when and where and how he had died. That had a tendency to happen if you went long periods without having to relearn everything; your brain wasn't used to the mountain of information it had to relearn and tended to only tell you stuff you needed.

     Ray had an almost constant headache from trying to absorb everything he needed to know, and he still felt like he was missing something really big. It was a good thing that Ryan had a collection of weird shit he'd kept from their various misadventures or he wouldn't remember half the shit he did.

     He had been suitably traumatized, though, when he had walked in on Michael and Gavin fucking and was treated to a flashback slideshow of every _other_ time he had walked in on Michael and Gavin--and Ryan or Lindsay or Meg or a combination thereof; those two got around. Lindsay and Meg didn't even visit that often. But yeah, Ray had been left traumatized and kinda turned on after that incident.

     They had wanted to go out and look for his stuff, because he had had a diamond sword on him, and because Ryan really didn't want to have to go get another cow to give Edgar just so he could make Ray a new carry-all. But their plans had been postponed by hard mode kicking in the day after Ray respawned.

     The four month cycle of modes ended in approximately two weeks of insanity and monsters around every corner, so the boys holed themselves up in Downtown with a stockpile of Potions of Remembrance and set about teaching Ray who Ray was while they waited for better conditions.

     Today was when those better conditions happened. It would be peaceful for at least another two weeks, and all six of them were fanning the area in the direction that Ray had to have come from, in search of his lost items. They had waited until midday, in order that most of the residual monsters would burn before they began. Ray stuck with Michael since he was the best fighter and Ray couldn't carry much without his bag.

     They were both searching the bushes near "The Royal Courts" when they heard Gavin's squeal of excitement. "Oooh, lads! I think I've found it!" he yelled as loudly as he could.

     There were a few things floating innocuously near the edge of the ice, and Gavin speculated that there was probably more in the water. He quickly picked up the few items he could reach on the ice (he noted a very ornate key and Ray's diamond sword among them.) He then peered in to the water and confirmed his suspicions about the items in the water.

     He carefully lowered himself in to the shallowest part of the water and waited for the things to gravitate toward him, grabbing them as soon as he could reach and shoving them in to his bag to be sorted later. He paused in his mindless shoving, however, when he came across a wonderfully sparkly little bauble; he inspected it closer and let out a low whistle when he discovered what it was.

    Gavin looked up when he heard footsteps above him. "Bloody hell, X-Ray, did you rob a store or something?" he asked.

     "What? No!"

    Michael, who had thoughtlessly and immediately waded in to the cold water to join his boyfriend, snatched the silver creeper from the blond's hands and admired it. Gavin whined when he lost it. "How the hell did you get this then?" the man in the bearskin asked, holding the figurine up to Ray.

    Ray, however was currently preoccupied with reliving his death at the hands of a very pissed off enderman. His vision clouded around the edges as he watched the monster claw and toss him while he could do nothing but swing blindly and run. He felt even more powerless watching it than he did living it.

    When Ray came back to reality, he was shaking and in a cold sweat. He was also flat on his back, staring at the sky.

    "Holy shit, Ray, are you okay?" Michael asked. He had waded out of the water to come kneel by his side.

    "Yeah, I think," the younger man said. He huffed out a laugh. "Pretty sure I know what killed me." He turned his head to smile reassuringly a his friend, but he ended up getting distracted by the green glinting figurine sitting on the sand next to him. "Shit, not again," he groaned as he was taken on yet another journey of self discovery.

    He had promised to get Gavin something. He felt out of place on the clean streets. The shopkeep was an asshole. Ray had a bag of money.

    Ray groaned and squeezed his eyes shut as his head pulsed in pain. "It's for you," he said weakly flicking his hand toward Gavin. His vision went fuzzy, and he thought a nap would be really nice just then.

    The three others arrived then, having been further off when Gavin shouted. "What the hell happened?" Geoff asked, noting Ray lying prostrate on the beach.

    "We found Ray's stuff," Gavin said, wading toward shore," then he went all loopy and fell over." He grabbed the little silver creeper from the ground next to Ray. "For me, huh?"

    "He's out cold," Jack said, standing from where he was crouched beside Ray. "I guess he figured out what happened to him."

    "Well what do we do now?" Before Michael could finish the question, Ryan had already hauled the young man up over his shoulder. "Well okay then."

    "Come on, let's take him back downtown," Geoff said. "You got all his stuff?" he asked Gavin.

    "What? Yeah," Gavin said, stuffing the creeper in his bag. He held Ray's empty bag out to Ryan, who was in charge of all enchantments and the like in Achievement City.

    Ryan carried an unconcious Ray all the way back to downtown, where they put him in his bed and decided to leave him alone for a while. Ryan slunk off with Ray's bag to see if it needed any repairs; Geoff gave Jack the go ahead to go back to his house--Caiti was visiting in a few days, and Jack was actually  _cleaning._ The remaining three stood in a sort of triangle outside Ray's house.

    Michael was just standing there because the only things on his agenda for the day were 'get Ray's shit' and 'fuck Gavin in new and exciting ways,' so there wasn't much he could do at the moment. Geoff was hanging around for an entirely different reason, and Gavin caught on quickly. "You wanna go through Ray's stuff?" he asked, holding up his own bag and shaking it enticingly.

    "Fuck yes I do," Geoff said," I've been dying to know what this asshole goes to Slomo for. Lay that shit out."

    "Let's go inside," Gavin said, walking toward Geoff's house. Geoff followed him.

    "Fucking seriously?" Michael asked in disbelief. "You guys are assholes."

    Gavin gave him a cheeky thumbs up, and Geoff grabbed him by the back of his collar. "Come on, jerkoff. We all know you're pissing yourself with curiosity, too." Michael grumbled for image but followed along obediently.

    After entering his house, Geoff went over and knocked on the door that separated his house from Ryan's. "What?" the other man called.

    Geoff swung the door open and leaned in to speak. "We're gonna snoop through Ray's shit," he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. "Wanna join?"

    Ryan set down the blaze rod he was carefully crushing in a bowl and sad, "Hell yeah I do." He stood up, and Geoff stepped aside for him to enter into his house.

    They settled on the floor of Geoff's house, because the asshole didn't have furniture. Gavin was flanked on either side by Michael and Ryan, and Geoff sat across from him.

    The Brit started carefully removing all of Ray's gubs from among his own things. He set them out one by one and narrated as he went. "Sword, rose, apples, pork chop, creeper, key, wood. Whatever's in this bag." He shook it, and the sound of clinking metal resulted. "Oh, and his clothes," he produced a neatly folded bundle of dark cloth from his satchel and set it beside the other things.

    "Well I've learned absolutely nothing so far," Michael said. Geoff grabbed the bag of unknown contents and undid the string keeping it closed.

    A low whistle echoed through the house. "I think we may need to have a talk with him," Geoff said, turning the bag over and letting it's contents spill out. Large gold and silver coins scattered out over each other; one rolled toward Ryan and skittered to a stop by his knee.

    He picked it up and examined it. "You think he's secretly a prostitute?" Ryan said conspiratorially.

    "You  _would_  want that, Ryan," Gavin said.

    Ryan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I love how the guy who spent six months trying to get me to have a threesome is implying I can't get laid," he said, making Gavin splutter.

    "Y'know technically speaking he has slept with literally every available person in Achievement City," Geoff supplied helpfully.

    "Multiple times," Michael added.

    "You guys suck." Gavin sulked as the three others snickered at his expense. It died down after a few moments.

    "Wonder what this key's for," Ryan said, picking up the ornate, wrought iron key. It was about three and a half inches long, and it had a leather cord tied through it like it could be worn around one's neck.

    "Think it's the key to his heart? Ow! Michael!" Gavin whined and rubbed the back of his head where Michael had whacked him.

    "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say," his boyfriend replied. Gavin pouted.

    "So, so far we've learned that Ray's a stripper, and Gavin's and idiot," Geoff said. "I thought we were looking for  _new_  information." 

     "You guys are assholes, you are," Gavin muttered.

     "We're going through our recently deceased friend's stuff while he's passed out in his house," Ryan pointed out. "What did you think we were? Proper gentlemen?"

     "Good, uh, good point there, Ry."

     "Well this has been an entirely useless exercise," Geoff said, motioning for Gavin to pick everything up again. He stood and stretched his arms above his head. "I guess we just wait for the asshole to wake up." 

\----

     Ray was getting real fucking tired of magically waking up in his bed and not remembering how he got there. That got old real fast. At least he was wearing clothes this time.

"Ray?"

     Ray turned his head quickly to the side and saw Gavin sitting cross legged on the floor next to his bed. His head was perked up, waiting for a response; Ray wondered how long the older man had been sitting there for. So he asked.

     "Only about ten minutes," Gavin answered. "We figured someone should make sure you hadn't got a concussion and died."

    "Thanks?" Ray said, moving to sit up in his bed. Someone had tucked him in, how nice.

     "Yep, no problem." Gavin stood and stretched until his back cracked back in to place. "Oh and I've got your stuff," he added.

     It took Ray a moment to process. "Oh, yeah, thanks. Can you just like put it in my chest? I don't feel like going through it right now." He still had a slowly pulsing headache and he kinda wanted to go back to sleep. "Oh but you can keep that little creeper," he remembered to add," I got it for you."

     Gavin paused before he had put the figurine all the way in the chest. "Cheers, Ray," he said with a smile, holding it up like a toast before he put it back in his bag. He finished emptying most of the other's stuff out of his bag, but stopped on the last item, twirling the leather cord between his fingers.

     The blond stood from where he was kneeling and filling the chest and walked the few steps over to Ray. Gavin held out something to him, and he took it instinctively. "I figured that might be important, so," he shrugged.

     Ray looked down at what he had been handed. It was a small wrought iron key. The top of it was round, made of ornately twisted metal, and inlaid with tiny glitering red gems. " _Because if the only thing you'll let me give you is the key to my bedroom it's gonna be a god damn pretty key."_

"Holy shit." Ray lurched up out of bed. "Holy shit." He put a hand to his head and shaky walked toward the door. "Holy  _shit_."

_"Why are you in the tavern if you don't drink?"_

_"Maybe I'm after a different buzz."_

     He remembered. That "something big" he was missing? He remembered it in flashes, a chance meeting with a stranger who had a nervous twitch and hair that Ray wanted to pull. A conversation that ended in an alley with hastily removed clothes and the other man chanting, "I swear I don't usually do this." 

     "I have to go," Ray said, not really to Gavin, but not really to himself.

      _"Is there any particular reason we're hiding from **royal guards?!** "_

_"Shhh. yes there's a good reason. I swear, I swear I'm not some horrible murderer I--I have to go."_

A long trek home after a confusing but good lay. A letter-- _a letter._ The only people in Achivement city who got  _letters_  were Jack and Michael--three days later looking for "Ray? Is there anyone here named Ray?" _  
_

" _I'm really sorry about what happened Friday, but  I can explain. This is probably kind of creepy, but if you'd be willing to come back to Slomo I'd love to see you again. Please send a reply with Adam here. I know he's fat and scary, but he probably won't hurt you._

_-Joel"_

_"_ Holy shit, I have to go." Ray couldn't turn the doorknob with one shaking hand; the other was clutching the key to Joel's castle and his room. "Fuck, shit, shit." He finally got the door open and stepped outside shakily.

     Gavin, who had been standing there in confusion during Ray's whole episode, fianlly snapped out of it and followed his friend outside. "Woah there, X-Ray, you okay?" he asked, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

     

     "I--" Ray was cut off by the sound of hoofs on cobblestone, and a vaguely familiar voice yelling. Both he and Gavin looked over to see a large bearded man on a horse that didn't seem to want to listen to him.

     The two friends stood and watched as the horse and its rider galivanted around downtown, like a saddled pig with no carrot. The man finally managed to get the horse to stop about two feet from jumping off of what used to be Gavin's house.

     "Fucking Joel, I'm gonna murder him for this, Jesus fuck," Adam muttered under his breath. He carefully got off of the four legged death trap he was on and led it off of the roof they were on.

     Once he had made it back down to solid ground, he went down to adress the two men who had seen him arrive. He was about to ask if either of them knew where Ray was, but was stopped by the shorter one shouting in surprise "Adam?!"

     Ray knew who Adam was. They had only formally met once, when he had given him Joel's letter, but he had seen him around and heard Joel speak of him enough to recognise him. Holy shit, if Joel had seen fit to send Adam then he must have been freaking the fuck out.

     "Fuck, I fucked up," Ray said anxiously. "I fucked up so bad. Fuck, okay, Adam, tell me, how bad is he?" The bearded man was just standing there in shock.

     "God okay, bad. Shit okay. Gavin," he turned to his equally confused friend, " I have to go. Tell everyone I had to go." Ray had the stray thought that he was acting a lot like his lover at this moment, what with his anxious rambling and increased heart rate.

     "I'm sorry, you're Ray?" Adam asked, for clarification's sake.

     "Yes, I'm Ray. Now get the fuck back on that horse and let's go."

     "Ray, get off the damn horse," Adam said. Not waiting for a response, he bodily hauled Ray from the exhausted animal.

     "I don't know you well enough for you to be touching me like this," Ray said, flailing a little but otherwise surrendering to the larger man.

     "You can't ride Big Daddy right now," Adam said, and he wondered when that ridiculous name had stopped sounding so stupid to say. He had named all of the horses himself after that incident. "She'll collapse."

     "Then we can walk!" Ray insisted. Doors started opening around them; Geoff was the first one to come out to investigate the yelling.

     "What the fuck are you dickbags doing?" he asked eloquently, walking toward the three men and the horse. "Who are you?" he said to Adam.

     "That's Adam, apparently," Gavin said. He stood next to Geoff and crossed his arms as they watched the two men bicker.

     A few moments later the other three men were outside in the plaza as well. Jack briefly tried to break them up, but eventually conceded that it was pointless and instead led the horse over to his house and tied it up, as it had been wandering around aimlessly and almost fallen into lava twice. After ten minutes they eventually began taking bets. Ryan was confident in his bet on Ray when the smaller man climbed on to Adam's back and attempted to use his beard as some sort of reins.

     "Got any cards?" Geoff asked Gavin. When Gavin failed to answer, he looked over and saw that the two unoccupied lads were making out against Ray's house.

     "So are we gonna break them up in time for dinner?" Jack asked. Ray was currently sitting on Adam's chest and listing all the reasons he could possibly think of for why they should leave  _right this instant_. It was actually kind of impressive how well he could manhandle the guy.

     Geoff, who was on his knees to inspect the stone of the plaza--they needed to do some repairs on it soon--looked back to the squabbling men at Jack's question. "Yeah, probably." He stood. "Hey, Mogar."

     Michael, whose hand was doing something that Geoff didn't want to think about round the back of Gavin's trousers, snapped his attention over to their leader at the sound of his "warrior" name. "Yes, Geoff?" he asked.

     Two out of the three gents resolutely ignored the flushed, panting Gavin leaning against the wall of Ray's house, and everyone else resolutely ignored Ryan not doing that.

     "Can you go do something about that? he waved his hand toward the feuding men. Adam was stubbornly standing in one place and holding Ray back as the shorter man tried to trudge over to the horse and ride alone.

     "Okay." Michael left Gavin where he was, somewhat as payback for that incident in the tree, and walked over to the two. Neither of them acknowledged his presence. That is, until he grabbed a fistful of each man's hair and yanked them both down to the ground.

     "We're done with this bullshit," he spoke to Ray. "Care to tell us what the fuck is going on here?"

     "Y'know, some stuff," Ray said, staring resolutely at a cloud shaped like a rabbit. "doesn't really concern you. I am going to be needing that horse back, though."

     "I can explain if he won't," Adam said, sitting up.

     Ray, moving faster than anyone else had ever seen him, rushed over to Adam and held both hands over his mouth. "No he won't!" Because Ray's half assed lies would be better than Adam's ignorant truth. "So y'know that girl you think I'm dating? Not a girl. Dude. I died; he's freaking out. Bye now."

     Adam's eyes widened at this. He had not been privy to the nature of Ray and Joel's relationship. He started speaking against Ray's hands.

     "Now if you'll excuse me I need to have a word with his buddy here." He stood and glared at Adam, hoping to convey "follow me quietly or die loudly." He mostly just looked like a pissed of teddy bear, but no one else was gonna tell him that.

     He left the five other men to stew in their confusion and walked stiffly back in to his house. The adrenalin from their fight was wearing off, and now the headache was back, and he was just sorta dizzy. He sat down on his bed, and Adam entered the house, closing the door behind him. 

     "So--" they both said at the said time.

     "You first," Ray said, rubbing at the side of his head.

     "For the sake of Joel and his continued status as king," Adam said," I am going to refrain from half the things I want to do. But know that this is the fucking  _dumbest shit_ that he has  _ever_ done, and I cannot fucking  _believe_  he's allowed this. How  _old_  are you?"

     Ray narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm fucking twenty five, dude. I'm insulted  _for_  him that you think I'm some clueless  _kid_."

     "I just wanna make sure you know what you're doing."

     "It's been two years; I think I know what the fuck I'm doing!" 

     Ray didn't realize that he had been shouting until Michael knocked on the door and opened it anyway. Poking his head in he said," Ray? Everything alright in here?"

     "Fucking peachy," Ray grit out. 

     Michael raised an eyebrow. "Okay then. I'll just...leave you to it." He waved one hand and closed the door.

     "So what now?" Ray asked with a sigh.

     "We feed and water the horse and wait until tomorrow," Adam said. 

     Ray flopped on to his back and glared at the ceiling. "Great, just, great. So I just sit here with my thumb up a chicken's ass while Joel is having a full blown breakdown?"

     "He was actually pretty okay when I left him," Adam said. "He ate a sandwich and drank something nonalcoholic and told me to come get you. Mind you, this is after days of not leaving his room."

     Ray ran a hand over his face. "Great. So I guess you're staying for dinner?"

     "Looking like it, yeah."

     "Michael and Gav have got an extra bed; I could see if they'd let you use it," Ray offered. "They may even let you watch if you're in to that." 

     "Watch what?"

     Ray laughed. Then he looked at Adam's confused face, and he laughed harder. It was that kind of day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry if the end seems like a rushed clusterfuck but that's how it happened and i'm tired so there it is


	5. Romantic Fatigue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adam is like, probably really weird in this chapter because I dOn't KnOww hOW to write AdAm. Just watched the most recent podcast with Joel in it, though, and I feel like I'm getting his speech pattern down a bit more.

     The ride back to Slomo was awkward, and long. Long and awkward is how it could be described, and quiet. The ride back to Slomo was a long, awkward, and quiet affair for both parties involved. No endermen, though, that was a plus.

     Ray had tied the key around his neck again, where it belonged, and it beat rhythmically against his chest under his shirt as they galloped along. He sat in front of Adam since he was the worse rider of the two.

      Ray had never been happier to see the entrance to the city, not even that time he had fallen in a ditch on his way there and sprained his ankle. (Joel had gotten him the best doctor available.)

      It was strange to enter the palace boundaries through the front gate in broad daylight. Ray kept feeling like he should be ducking in to shadows, and every time one of the servants or knights called a greeting to Adam, Ray flinched like he'd been hit. The young man had been caught and thrown out too many times for him to not recognize which of the guards were rougher than necessary. Ray was the stealthiest person in Achievement City now.

     They dropped the mare off at the stables, and the stable boy, a lad of around ten years of age, inquired after Ray. He had on his cloak with the hood pulled up to cover his face--no need for him to be recognized, so, all in all, Ray understood the suspicion in the boy's tone.

     "He's here to see the king," Adam told him simply.

     Anyone else would have understood that additional questions would not be answered, but this particular lad was a bit clueless. "'S he an assassin?" he asked.

     "What? No!" Adam said in shock. Ray couldn't help but snort at the question.

     "Oh. Sorry sir," he addressed Ray. "He looks like one o' them assassins, though sir, he does."

     "It's fine," Ray spoke up. " I do look like a shady motherfucker right now. But it's very important that no one knows who I am." The boy nodded solemnly and then seemingly remembered that he had a job to do and led the mare back inside the stables.

     Adam glared at Ray. "What?" he asked defensively.

     "Do you have no concept of age appropriate language?"

    "If he works in the stable he's seen and heard worse things than that," Ray assured him.

     "Whatever, let's get you to the king."

     "Thanks, but I can get there from here," Ray assured him. "You might not wanna be around when the reunion hits." Adam made a face at that and muttered under his breath.

     "Regardless of how gross you two will be, I'm going with you so you don't get tossed out by guards." Ray shrugged and started walking toward the servants' entrance to the palace. "Where are you going?"

     Ray turned back around to face Adam and hooked his thumb over his shoulder. "I was gonna go inside and console my grieving boyfriend, if that's alright with you."

     "Through the servants' entrance? The  _back_ servants' entrance?"

     "Uh, yeah. Unless you have a better plan."

     "I'm the king's personal advisor," Adam said. Ray blinked at him. "We could, maybe, go through the main doors? At the very least a side door not designated as shit disposal."

     "Please, lead on," Ray said.

    Ray followed Adam like a shadow. He still wasn't used to not being stopped on sight in the castle halls, and it made him twitchy. At one point Adam stopped for a few moments to chat with a blond woman, and Ray almost wore a hole in the floor from his small circle of pacing. And then, finally, gloriously, he saw Joel's room.

     He sprinted ahead of Adam and came to a stop in front of the large, beautifully carved doors that stood between himself and Joel. Ray took a moment to run his fingers along the familiar wood before he tugged the key from under his shirt.

     The door creaked open in the way that castle doors always do, and Ray looked in to the room. Joel was curled up in a ball around the horrible mockery of a blanket that Ray, with Jack's careful supervision, had knit him for Christmas. He looked better than Ray had expected. He was clean, and, if the plates on the side table were to be trusted, he had eaten. Clothes were strewn about the room, Ray recognised one of his shirts hanging from one of the unlit candle holders.

     Ray stepped fully in to the room when it became apparent that Joel wasn't going to wake up just from the sound of the door and the light from the hallway. He vaguely heard Adam walking away.

     "Joel," Ray said softly. There was no response. He removed his cloak and let it drop to the floor as he walked over to the bed. He laid a hand on Joel's shoulder, and he king twitched slightly but didn't wake up. "Joel," Ray tried again. He knelt down next to the bed and rested his chin on Joel's shoulder. "Joel, I need you to wake up for me."

    Ray felt the king's breath hitch for a moment in the way that indicated he had just woken up. Joel groaned; you can't feel headaches when you're asleep. He kept his eyes closed and tried to figure out what had woken him up.

    "Joel?"

    Joel gasped and quickly jerked upright, eyes wide. "Ray!" he exclaimed. The younger man smiled broadly. "You, you're here!"

    "In the flesh," Ray agreed. He had the breath knockd out of him when Joel grabbed him around the waist and hugged him.

     "I thought you were dead!" he said frantically.

    "I sorta was. Fucking endermen, right? Let me tell you, it's a good thing you gave me that key or I'd still be sitting at home wondering what I was missing. Oh, and Adam too. Thanks for the ride."

    "Mmm," Joel hummed, soaking in the warmth of Ray. Ray was there and alive, and he could hold him again. He rested his head over the young man's heart and listened to the steady thump.

    Ray smiled fondly at his lover and kissed his hair softly. His knees sort of hurt from kneeling on the stone floor of the room, but he said nothing and simply rubbed joel's back in soothing circles as the older man processed that he didn't need to worry right now. Ray was alive and right there.

     After a minute or two Joel calmed down enough to loosen the deadlock he had on Ray's torso. He let his hands rest loosely on the man's hips an pressed light kisses all over his face.

     "I-I am-I'm getting you a horse," Joel said seriously as he pressed one last kiss to the top of Ray's head. "No excuses."

     Ray smiled. "Yeah, okay," he agreed. Then he pushed Joel back and climbed on to the bed. He fit himself close to Joel's side, and one hand ran soothing patterns over the older man's chest.

     "I missed you," Joel said. He had one arm slung over his stomach, fingers just barely brushing the skin over Ray's hipbone, and the other arm was tucked under Ray's shoulders, hand reaching up to mindlessly play with his hair.

     Ray hummed in agreement. "How badly did the kingdom fair while I was away?" he asked

     "I, um, honestly I-I haven't left my room in nearly a week,"Joel answered, eyes darting away from Ray's.

     "Joel!" Ray scolded.

     "Yeah, I know. But, y'know, in my defense, you  _did_  just run off and die." He pouted. It was kind of hilariously cute, like a dog who didn't get the table scraps. It made Ray want to kiss him; so he did.

     "Promise you won't do shit like this again?" he asked.

     Joel pouted harder. "Well I-I can't  _promise_  any--" Ray bit his bottom lip hard enough to make him flinch, then repeated himself.

     "Fine," Joel said, rubbing at his now sore lip. "If you promise you won't die again."

     "You can't just lock yourself in your room every time something happens to me," Ray said.

      "I can try."

     Ray knew he should probably push the issue, make Joel realize that no matter what happened he did have a kingdom of people to lead. But he had been stressed out since Adam's arrival yesterday, and it was really nice to be held again.

     Besides, Joel was rubbing his fingers along Ray's lower stomach, just above his pants, and that was much easier to focus on. He shivered slightly when his those fingers trailed along the sparse hair near his navel.

     "I didn't latch the door," Ray said when Joel finally rolled on top of him.

     "Fuck the door," Joel said. He held Ray's wrists above his head and started kissing at his neck.

     Ray arched his hips up against Joel's. "I'd get splinters, though," he said with a smile.

     "Y- you-- I-- y-you're a smartass," Joel said with narrowed eyes.

     "With a tight ass to match." Ray winked.

     "Why do I love you, again?"

     "Uh, beats me. By all accounts I'm an asshole."

     "Shut up and kiss me."

     "Isn't that my line?"

\----

     "Sir?" Adam stopped his leisurely stroll mid-step and turned around to face the girl who had spoken. She was a young servant, maybe thirteen. She worked in the laundry, judging by the basket of dirty clothes nearly as big as her. She looked concerned.

     Adam crouched down to her eye level. "Yes, miss...?"

     "Madeline," she supplied with a small smile. Adam always liked to know who he was speaking to.

     "Madeline, what can I do for you?"

     "Well, it's just, sir--there are very strange noises coming from the king's chambers. I went to get the laundry--Mariel's been awful cross with me lately for not gettin' the king's laundry. But when I got near his room I heard these noises, like someone dying. I knocked on the door to see if he was alright, and he just yelled that everything was fine and to please come back later."

     The visible part of Adam's face grew steadily redder as the girl spoke. "I think I know what was going on," he told her.

     "Really, sir?"

     "Yeah, and it's nothing for you to be concerned about. Tell Mariel I said you don't have to get his laundry today."

     "Well, I'm glad, sir. It's just with the way he's been lately, locked up in his room all the time, I was worried."

     "Nothing to be worried about," he assured her. "You can go get on with your chores."

     "Yes, sir," she said and then scurried off with her almost comically large basket of clothes.

     As soon as she was out of sight, the polite smile fell from his face. Adam cursed under his breath an set out purposefully toward Joel's room.

\----

     Joel had only been able to bask in the afterglow of having Ray back for approximately forty-five seconds before there was angry knocking on his door. Ray had promptly fallen asleep in an effortless manner that Joel was envious of.

     "Go away!" Joel called. He knew from experience that it would take more than that to wake Ray. Adam, ever the rebel, shoved open the door with all his might. He assumed, of course, that the door was  _locked_  and thus went tumbling comically in to the room. There was a smacking noise as Adam's hands collided with the stone floor.

     "Ow!"

     Joel sat up and scrambled to cover himself and Ray. "That is--that is the exact  _opposite_  of going away!" he yelled.

     Adam righted himself and straightened his clothes before closing the door. He then glared at Joel for a solid fifteen seconds. Ray, it was to be noted, had not so much as flinched at all the noise. He  _did,_ however, move his head to Joel's thigh and nuzzle in to his hipbone, making the whole situation doubly as uncomfortable for the older man. 

     "What?!" Joel finally asked the bearded man.

     "I just had a conversation with a young girl who overheard you fucking," Adam said.

     "Oh, is that all?"

     "God damn it, Joel!"

     And there it was again. That phrase would be on his tombstone. Next to his tombstone would probably be Joel's.

     Adam's outburst finally managed to rouse Ray. He blinked rapidly and yawned against Joel's leg. He rolled over on to his back and rubbed sleep from his eye, not entirely sure what had woken him up.

     He looked over at Joel with a hazy smile. It fell immediately when he saw the expression on Joel's face. He propped himself up on his elbows and finally noticed Adam. 

     "Oh, hello. Do you always creep on people after sex, or did I just happen to catch your eye?"

     Adam ignored him and instead yelled at Joel. "I don't know how you've managed to keep this secret for so long! You're a fucking idiot! You do realize that if someone hears you fucking,  _they'll probably want to know who else in in here._ Not to mention the fact that you left the fucking door open!" 

     "You done?"

     "Joel!"

     "What?!"

     Adam widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows like he couldn't believe what was happening here. "Everything about this situation is fucking TNT near lava. You're asking for it to blow up in your face. Jesus."

     "Adam." Adam raised an eyebrow at Joel. "If you're, y'know, done insulting my intelligence and my choice in men, I was going to take a nap."

     Adam narrowed his eyes at the king. "I give up!" he said, throwing his hands in the air. "Dig your own grave!" he yelled, opening the door to the hallway. "What do I know?!" He stepped out of the room. "It's just my job to tell you what the wisest course of action is!" He closed the door again. "It's not like I have your best interests in mind or anything!" he called as he stormed off.

     Ray looked at Joel, concerned, but Joel just rolled his eyes. "Jeez, who braided his beard this morning," the king said. 

     "He makes a good point," Ray pointed out. "We should probably be a little more careful."

     Joel sighed. "Yeah you're right." His face turned red, and he scratched at the back of his neck. "We might've gotten a little carried away." 

     "You gonna tell Adam about that broken post?" Ray asked. He referred to the front right of the four ornamental posts, shaped like snakes, on Joel's bed. Ray had, for reasons, had both of his hands braced against it. Apparently, the strain of that plus, y'know, the motion of have passionate reunion sex, was enough to snap it off at its weakest point, the snake's head.  

     Joel flushed harder if that was possible. "No,not--not unless he asks," Joel answered. He pulled Ray closer to his side and leaned down to kiss his head. Ray yawned and nuzzled against his warm chest. "You can go back to sleep," Joel told him.

     "Yeah. Yeah, I think I will." Ray again fell asleep almost immediately, lulled off by the, really faster than strictly healthly, beat of joel's heart.

     Joel wasn't actually tired, and had only said that to get Adam out of his hair. He leaned back against the pillows, keeping one arm around Ray. He was perfectly content to lie there and listen to Ray's steady breaths and beating heart, soak in the confirmation that he was alive.

     In a few hours, Joel would have to attend to his duties, run damage control on his impulsive seclusion. He really was lucky for Adam. the kingdom would've gone to shit years ago if it wasn't for him and people like him. He was fortunate enough to have friends below him who weren't afraid to tell him when he was doing something stupid.

     But that could wait. Adam's concerned angry and Burnie's, well, concerned concern and Gus's stressful rant. Ray mumbled in his sleep and moved closer to Joel. It could all wait, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. Up next: Joel visits Achievement City.


End file.
